KIMBLEN- we'll miss you!

I worked with Kimblen for the last 5-6 years at the hospital. A few weeks ago while at work she became short of breath and was sent to the ER and then admitted with pneumonia. After that I have bits and pieces of the story. Kim went home and then ended up being re-admitted.. that night she ended up in the ICU with difficulty breathing. She died last night in the unit. She was a funny woman who you were either cool with or you weren't. And she would let you know if you weren't. That is why she cracked me up all the time:) She was fun to work with. I got the news this morning talking to a co-worker on the phone. I was surprised and at the same time, I think I preparing for it because from things we were hearing, it didn't sound like the outcome would be good.
She will be missed greatly and all of my prayers go with her family!
I'll see if I can find a picture of her and possibly post it soon!!

OUR HOUSE!!

I just wanted to update you on our house!! It's getting there.. Should be done in the next 6 weeks! OH I can't wait! I hate this apartment! It's tiny and not to mention my neighbor doesn't pick up her dog shit! There is about 80 piles out there. I'm not even exaggerating!! It's crazy!! Ask brian!! She's a pig! Honestly!!

Anyway, back to our house! I drove by it on my way home! (I've had a tummy virus for the last few days so i came home to do some office work at home) Anyway, the builders have the brick on front of the house and another team looked like it was putting up the garage door! It is really coming together. I'm so far happy with our builders Ryan Home! I'll keep you updated on their work!:)

Here are some pics! Not of today, but of the last 2 weeks!

My niece and nephew

This past weekend I had my niece and nephew over. (as well as my brother and sister-in-law) Mikey and Rachel had fun playing! They are the cutest! They were entertained at the idea that on cold nights I wrap Kootie and Smoosh up in a blanket! Mikey wanted to be wrapped up like the dogs and well... Rachel does whatever Mikey does!

Andrea Parhamovich

I found out today that a girl I considered a friend in high school died in Iraq. I was at work and picked up a newspaper. I saw Andrea's name and picture and it didn't register right away with me. I think I was in disbelief and shock at what I just read in the headline. No one expects to lift up the paper and see someone they know on the front page, let alone the fact that they were killed in a road side attack. As I said, I went to Pery High School with Andi and was very saddened to hear the news of her passing. I haven't talked to Andi in so long. I remember she was a great girl that always made me laugh. She was "spunky". She was small girl who was really sweet, but if she had to she could kick your ass! :) I remember playing softball with her my sophomore year in high school, she was a freshman. (I had to quit due to terrible tendonitis) I remember how every time we would play, Andi would have a french braid in her hair. I don't know why I always remember her with her hair pulled back like that. I just do. That was the immediate picture that came to my mind when after I read the article. The picture was her with a french braid in her softball uniform. I guess you always keep a picture of people in your life somewhere in your mind and this is how I remembered her. She would always tell me about her family. She loved them very much. SHe would often talk of her little brothers. She loved them a lot.
My heart goes out to her family. I know all too well what sudden loss feels like. It isn't easy, but I know they have a strong, good family that will remember her with love. The world needed more people like Andi, not less! It is a very sad day for our community in Perry. The old song says, "Only the good die young!" I've learned in my life time that this is so true and Andi was no exception. I'm not sure why it has to be that way or seem that way. She was a great girl. Andi, you will be missed and our prayers are with you and your family! I know a lot of people loved her. She touched my life with her spirit as I know she did with everyone else.
I was already upset by the war. After knowing that someone I know and admired has been killed because of it, it gives you a whole new level of frustration with it. I know in my heart that Andi because of who she was, was trying to make the best of a war that has been so tragic. She wanted something positive to come of all of this. That is just who she was. I'm not suprised by anything she has done in her life. She was someone to admire who had a warm spirit, a love of laughter and things positive in the world. I will always remember her as the lovable, spunky girl with the french braid in her hair, who loved life and everyone's life was better with her in it.

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Article taken from The News Heald

The family of Andrea Parhamovich, a Perry Township native killed in Iraq Wednesday, expressed overwhelming grief and deep sadness at their loss and asked for patience from the public as they deal with her death.National and international attention has focused on Parhamovich, 28, and her family, friends, fiance and employer since her death. She died alongside three bodyguards of Croatian, Hungarian and Iraqi nationality, in an ambush attack by an al-Qaida linked coalition of Sunni insurgents in Yarmouk, reportedly an increasingly violent neighborhood in western Baghdad.Her brother-in-law Joe Zampini read from a prepared statement Friday at his brother's business, Lake County Nursery in Perry Township. Her parents and brothers did not attend the news conference, but her sister Marci Zampini watched unobtrusively as television news crews, reporters and photographers focused on Joe."We wish to briefly share how wonderful and special a person Andi was," he said. "Andi was a confident, motivated, intelligent and loving young woman. She was a wonderful daughter, cherished sister, loving aunt and devoted friend who also put those around her first. "She embraced challenges which allowed her to achieve so much in a relatively short period of time. Andi always sought out great experiences that also allowed her to make a difference. It was that commitment to making a difference which led her to Iraq."Zampini and David Rolfes, an associate of Parhamovich's with National Democratic Institute of Washington, D.C., declined to respond to most media inquiries, saying family members had no real information to add to the statement and weren't likely to address the public again until sometime next week.Various reports about Parhamovich's life and tragic death were published Friday in papers across the nation. Zampini said Parhamovich was engaged to Newsweek reporter Michael Hastings, who worked at the publication's Baghdad bureau, and they planned to make arrangements sometime this winter to be married. Hastings will accompany Parhamovich's body back to the United States when arrangements can be made through the U.S. military for her transport home from Baghdad.Although the couple rarely had the time or freedom to get together while in Baghdad, they were planning to spend Valentine's Day together in Paris, according to various reports.Hastings was planning to ask her to marry him at that time, he told the New York Times. He characterized Parhamovich as tough and brave, yet lovable and charming. She had dreams of working on a presidential campaign and possibly running for Congress."She didn't agree with the war, but she felt that now that we're here, she wanted to do what she could to help the Iraqis. She wasn't afraid of taking risks," Hastings told the Associated Press.Zampini said Andi never spoke with family members of the details of the environment in which she worked while in Iraq. "She was really strong. I think she shielded us from that," he said."Andi's desire to help strangers in such a dangerous environment thousands of miles away might be difficult for others to understand, but to us, it epitomized Andi's natural curiosity and unwavering commitment. She was passionate, bold and caring, as exemplified by her work to improve the lives of all Iraqis.""We also want to extend our own heartfelt condolences to the families of those who gave their lives while protecting Andi. They, too, are in our thoughts and prayers," Zampini said.U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad condemned the attack. "The young American who was killed in this attack, along with her security team, exemplified a commitment by all those who have never wavered in their resolve to build a stable, united and democratic Iraq," he said in a statement.Parhamovich was a program officer with the National Democratic Institute, providing training programs in democracy to the emerging government. She was not a member of the military.A statement posted on an Islamic Web site Thursday claimed the attack destroyed two sport-utility vehicles of the Zionist Mossad and a third was severely damaged. It was signed by a spokesman of the "Islamic state in Iraq," the so-called Islamic government claimed last year by al-Qaida and other Sunni Arab-linked groups. Mossad is the name given by al-Qaida to foreigners of unknown nationality and refers to the Israeli spy agency, wrote Maamoun Youssef, Associated Press writer in Cairo.Al Franken, who worked with Parhamovich at the liberal radio company Air America for about 18 months, said he's devastated by her death."She was a thoroughly charming intelligent, funny, idealistic, dedicated young woman," he said. "It was just great being in her presence because you felt like you were in the presence of a really good person, a real American. She was lovely in every way, just beautiful."Franken said Parhamovich was not the kind of person to criticize without doing something to help fix it."She was against the war but nevertheless saw that what Iraq needs is the growth of democratic institutions," he said.Matthew Hiltzik, president of Freud Communications Inc. in New York, was Parhamovich's boss when she worked for film company Miramax about four years ago. The two remained close friends and later, she was supposed to help him start his company, but then he recommended she go to Air America.In Iraq, she wanted to work on spreading democracy there for about a year, then use that experience to perhaps work with a presidential candidate on foreign affairs, Hiltzik said.A run for Congress also was in her dreams, he said.Parhamovich, a liberal who had worked for a Republican Massachusetts governor, was an avid Cleveland Indians and Browns fan who had a fondness for the underdog. "She always felt for Marty Schottenheimer," Hiltzik said.She named the fantasy football team the two had after the San Diego Chargers coach who is the most successful one never to have reached the Super Bowl.There have been no public services set at this time, but arrangements will be made through Johnson Funeral Home of Painesville.The Associated Press and New York Times contributed to this article.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN

Brian's 30th birthday is tomorrow. I'm so excited to celebrate it this weekend! Happy Birthday baby-doll!

My heartbreak

OSU lost to the Gators 41-14. What the hell happened? I think it was the fact that the Bucks didn't play a game for 50 days prior to that game. I don't think it was the Heisman curse. Screw that idea. I was so sad. What makes it more sad now is that I owe my cousin 1 million dollars or 1 million jr cheeseburgers! :) She is a Gator. How do I face her this summer when she comes to visit, especially after all my trash talking? I'll be a woman about it and just egg her car!

I'm cold

For some reason the only warm place in our apartment is in our bedroom or up in the loft upstairs. My bedroom is actually too warm, more like a suana. It is lightly snowing outside right now. I was just thinking about the fact that tomorrow I go back to work for the first time in over 2 months. I think I'm ready. The time off was more than great though! I needed it.
I walked the dogs outside yesterday. Not very far though. I noticed that the tulips I planted last spring are coming up through the ground again. I can't believe that the ground is that warm and the weather has been so wonderful that the tulips are starting to grow. I never bought my calla lillies in the pot in. I went over to them and noticed that they are growing also. This is crazy! But it made me smile. Spring isn't too far away. Yeah I know that winter's offical start was only 3 weeks ago, but still, spring is coming soon! I can't wait!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2007!!!!

ROCKY! ROCKY! ROCKY!

I just got back from seeing Rocky Balboa with a group of friends. There was pretty much an entire row of us. I am pleased to annouce that I liked the movie. I was a little nervous at first because I thought the movie would be unbelievable, but it was very good. I loved it!!! And Tony didn't wet his pants!! Right now I'm really looking forward to seeing Transformers and Harry Potter. But I have to wait all the way till July! 7 and half more months for crying out loud!!
I'm glad they did a Rocky 6! It well made up for the piece of shit that was Rocky 5.
No one, not even Rocky fans liked that sorry excuse for a film! Rocky Balboa (rocky 6) gets 2 chocolate and butter covered thumbs up!! ( I like eating M&M's and popcorn in the same mouth full! Like chocolate covered popcorn!:)

updates

I've been pretty bad on the updates. But it's not like I'm doing much sitting at home! My knee is healing though it looks like there is still some swelling in it. The doc my have to stick a needle in there and drain it he said. Not looking forward to that. I feel like I've been through enough already this year! We haven't done a lot at all since I'm stuck at home. I updated my MYSPACE page. Oh boy! hee hee. Actually I like it a lot more than I did before. I think it's pretty off the hook now! Don't hate!
We had people over for the OSU/Michigan game! I can't believe that the Buckeyes are going to be playing my cousins Gators. I'm thinking of sending her a Gator Hunter T-shirt with Jim Tressel on it! Ah, i would be worth it I think! Nothing too much going on. Brian's cousin Jen got married this weekend. It was nice ceremony! We have been waiting for awhile for Pedro to get his visa. Now he is finally our family. What else is there? Nikya stayed for 3 days and drove me up a wall. I love her, but she is a non-stop machine always asking things over and over in hopes that she will wear you down and you will give in. The problem was was that I didn't give in so I got to be driven mad! I have to send the rest of our cards out. After that, that is it! Christmas is almost here. My favorite time of the year! Merry Christmas everyone! ANd Happy New Year!!!

my knee

I had surgery on my knee finally. They took the hamstring tendon and used it to repair the ACL that was torn.. Also they had to "shave" down the medial menicus. The doctor poked holes in the menicus to get it to bleed. They said it clotted and that tissue would end up becoming a healed menicus. Kind of strange, but cool I guess.
I woke up and felt like shit! They did a femoral block but for some reason it was hurting. Really painful. My oxygen levels kept going down to the low 80's. Usually it's suppose to be in the upper 90's to 100. I started to throw up quite a bit. So I ended up staying. Which I'm glad that I was staying. I don't think I would've been very good at home. I'm posting some post-op pics. Kind of gross, but cool! Frank, my best friend, took some pics at the doctors office after the doc took off my dressings. Then he took me over to rehab... I did exercises and iced it. I liked the compression ice device. It felt great!

Surgery

I'll be having knee surgery on November 2nd for my torn ACL, medial meniscus and tibial plateau fracture. Actually I won't need surgery for the fracture. Just the other 2.
I'll be out of work for 8-9 weeks. *sigh* Maybe it is God's way of saying I need a break! I'll just look at it that way. If anyone is bored and has free time in the next 2 months, come and visit me! I'll be at home, or at rehad, trying to get better and stronger!

Health update!

AUGGGGGGGGGH!!!!!!! I just had to immediately get that out! So Brian and I are 2 weeks away from in vitro.. 2 weeks away from more than likely becoming pregnant. Then I get the MRI results. I didn't actually go to the doctor. I had a PA look up my MRI's with me. The report next the images were not good. I don't know how to read MRI's. I was more curious about that report. The report said: Ruptured ACL, nondisplaced lateral tibial plateau fracture, probably tear of the postierior horn of the medial meniscus. And some other stuff that said another probable tear that was not acute. In other words, something that may have happened a long time ago, just never had caused me pain.
I am going to see both doctors tomorrow. I'm more than likely going to have to have knee surgery and I'm going to have to put the IVF on hold. Which breaks my heart! But I'll find out more tomorrow about how much I need surgery for me knee. I have been reading up on it and it looks like a lot of people regret putting it off, only to find out their knees got worse. I just am heartbroken because I will have to put off IVF.
I'm just so frustrated because of all the things that have happened this year.
Trying to get pregnant..
Spraining my ankle and wrist at work
Spraining my right knee
F-ing up my left knee
My mom finding out that she has colon cancer, which is just in the diagnosis phase.
Possible needing surgery now for my own knee.
Being so close to IVF.
More time off of work.
My grandpa dying.
My aunt dying.
2 of my favorite patients dying.
1 of my former patients not doing so well.
2 of my patients right now aren't doing so great!

The only good things this year.. Italy and france, New Orleans with Brian. Our anniversary weekend get away! And the weddings this year, Nicole and Sanjay, Jen and Greg, Sue and Dave, Rachel and Jason, Alessa and Nick, Matt and Christine. Those are good things!

Now I'm really upset because I want to do something special for Brian's birthday and we really don't have the means right now. AUGH!!! I"m just so stressed! I'm going to go nap!

Team Photo

Even though I'm not playing football anymore, we got a team photo together at one of Mike's last games.

Here are the Super Scrubs.

I got a pug on my lap

Kootie decided to sit on my lap while I blog. He is so cute! He is wanting some attention . He wants to type and say hi to everyone! He keep placing his paw on the keyboard and is trying to read the screen like he is the writer!! I can't take how cute this little guy is!
Anyway, I am offically 30. A little scary I know! But it will be what I make of it right! We went to dinner at Johnny Mango's on the night of my birthday. But the next night we met our families out for dinner at the Melting Pot. It was alright! Overrated and overpriced I think! But it was still a good birthday!
Brian ran in the Columbus Marathon today! His time was...... 2:59.38. I am so proud of him! Of course his first sub 3 comes when I can't be there! I wish I could've seen him! I am so happy for him! He has worked long and hard for that and he did it!!!!!
He is napping right now because he has to go into work tonight to start up everything. I'm so happy I have off tomorrow. It will be busy, but I'm not at work!:) I will be going to a few doctor appointments. I have to get an MRI tomorrow to finally see if I tore a ligament in my knee. It is still in pain and it is about damn time too! Maybe I can get that resolved. I have some fertility doc stuff to tomorrow too. It will be a busy day. In fact I'm going to go to bed here real soon!
NIGHT!!!

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?

So for weeks now.. more like months.. Brian has told me that he had a surprise for my upcoming 30th birthday. We were going somewhere but he wouldn't tell me where. So this past weekend I found out where we were going.:) We packed up and headed for my favorite city, New Orleans. I was so excited about going back. I was there last year before the Hurricane Katrina. But I was wanting to go back to show support to my favorite city. The city that I have so many found memories in. We arrived there and headed to our favorite watering whole, Pat O'Brien's. But not before we stopped and ate some beingets at Cafe Du Monde. Well, we arrive at Pat O's and I ordered my favorite drink, The Rainstorm. Brian and I are drinking and I'm getting this warm fuzzy feeling. It was like I was home, since I've been there so many times. I was so relaxed but at the same time a little sad to see it had changed somewhat. Our taxi driver took us through an area that was affected by the flood. Not to a huge degree, but a lot of places were boarded up and the houses were spray painted with the sign that has come to be part of all the pictures of houses on the Gulf Coast. But the city still had a sense of " we're fighting back!" People were back in the city and trying to move on in their lives. While at Pat O's I looked across the patio and I saw a man looking at me, smiling, headed my way with my favorite drink in his hand. I turn to Brian and said, "Is that Frank Kitchen?" (for those who don't know him, he is my guy best friend, my brother. ) I was stunned, but then noticed this little blonde girl ducking behind him peeking around him. It was my best friend Michelle, who lives in North Carolina! They both made the trip down to surprise me. I see Frank all the time, but to see him down in New Orleans, was great! It was also great to spend time with Michelle since I never get to see her as much as I would like. I have been bugging her and Frank forever to come down to New Orleans with me. I was so excited! Brian went through so much work to surprise me!! And he totally did! I am the luckiest girl alive to have such a wonderful and caring husband! He is the world to me ! I'm so grateful for getting to share my life with my best friend. :)
Anyway, I was in shock to see Michelle and Frank! That in itself was the best birthday present ever! To be surrounded by my best friends and my husband in a city that I love! It was so amazing! We had dinner at Emeril's place, NOLA. I love that place, if only because the service is the best I've ever had and the garlic bisque soup is the best I've ever had! And it doesn't hurt to mention that the last night we were there, we went to the casino and I won $1600 on the slot machine!! Can you believe it!!!??? I did need the money bad! And the whole story is a good one in itself. When I walked in the door, I go to this slot machine to see if it was a .25 cent one. As I look at it, the guy next to me just won the big jackpot of $1250. I thought to myself, "Man ! Stuff like that never happens to me!" That was the first time I witnessed someone with a jackpot on a slot! So we explore the area and I quickly lose $20 on one machine. I decided I was done. Michelle has never been to a casino before, so she tries a penny machine. I'm sitting next to her while Frank and Brian are at another machine. I keep looking over at these 2 slot machines. $1 slots. I tell Michelle, "Man, one of those machines is calling my name. I'm going to do only $10 more bucks. " I immediately win $10 on my first spin. I max bet each time $2 max bet. So I quickly get down to $2 left. I hit the max bet botton... and I WON!!! $1600 beans on my last $2 !!! As I wait for an attendant, people congratulate me. Even this guy 2 machines from me shakes my hand. The attendant comes up and her name is the same as my sister who passed away, Melissa. I wondered if it was a sign that my sister was looking down on me. She leaves to get some paper work processed. I wait at the machine like I was told to do. This is the first jackpot I've ever won, not to mention the 2nd I witnessed in 1 night. I've never seen any before. About 15 minutes later, I'm still waiting for my money when the guy that shook my hand, hit a jackpot. He won $10,000. The 3rd of the night and I witnessed it! He yelled over to me, "I just won 10,000, can you believe it!? " To think, I've never even witnessed 1 let alone had one myself and witnessed 2 of 2 people right next to me! Michelle returns from playing a Star Wars slot and she won $200 herself. Her first time ever in a casino!! I felt luck was on our side that night! People around me were winning! Too bad Brian didn't want to gamble that night!:) It was just a great time! I was so tired! I'm so tired now! But it's a good reason to be tired!

It felt good being in the city despite all the suffering that had been in the city. It isn't quite back to itself. They need more tourist. It wasn't as busy as I was use to. The Riverwalk mall that I loved going to made me realize how much as changed in the city. Most the shops in the mall were closed and it was a dead place. Usually the Riverwalk and Spanish plaza are filled with people, but it wasn't this time. I actually thought the mall was closed. The food court there is usually huge with at least 15 places to eat if not more. There were only 3 places open. And really 2 with one place for beverages open. That showed me the effects of the hurricane. I couldn't walk near the Convention Center knowing people had died there just a year earlier. It broke my heart. Someday I will though. The city is coming back and if you ever get the chance, I suggest you go there. It is an amazing place! The pic above of me outside the hotel was at 6 am and we are leaving to the airport. I didn't get to bed till 3 am, so I just went in my pajamas.

Our 1st anniversary!

Sept. 24th was our first anniversary! We went down to Hocking Hills and stayed in the Pleasant Valley Cabins. My original hope was to go hiking in that area. Due to my knee injury, we weren't able to. But we were able to go to one park, Ash Cave, that had a trail for the physically challenged. We also spent a few hours at Ohio University where Brian went to college. The cabin was amazing and clean! The couple that owns the cabins offers a food service for an extra fee. They give you a menu to choose from. We chose cornish game hen. The food was fantastic! In the morning we had eggs benedict and peacan camermal french toast! It was so delicious! We also received a couple's massage from Blue Valley Massages. It was great and definately what we needed. They came to our cabin and everything! It was so relaxing!
Here are the pictures from our trip! Since I love photography we took some extra pics at the park! (I am thinking of finding a photography class on Monday's instead of playing football!:)